SHE has a certain kind of gait, Phoebe Philo’s Celine woman. The way she charges out, that unmistakably wide, pacy stride assertively clutching onto her bag (since you asked, the new shape is an ergonomic oval leather slither shaped a little like a Pringle).
That stride seemed to feel all the more defined today with legs clad in cropped, exaggerated flares with turn-ups. Not the kind that swish about by the ankles, these were rigorously crisp, sharp and structured, and they didn’t budge an inch. They were topped with a-line knitted tunics with circular cut outs. Springy, knitted tank dresses were also in the offering, they bounced with tiers of stringy tasseled fringe; another knitted number was woven from fuchsia and navy wool, and unraveled at the hem. Next, a series of bold, unmistakably Seventies florals were clashed and spliced together, layered over those flares or elsewhere fashioned into midi length dresses with wafting petal sleeves.
The minor details at a Celine show are as vital to proceedings as the clothes themselves, like the manner in which a singular spaghetti strand of wool was knotted around a crinkled black coat; the desirability of those gold hoops clipped into half-up-half-down hair, and also of note; a series of white porcelain jewellery: pendants and brooches – a coiled snake, a miniature lady’s hand – pinned to short sleeved cuffs and lapels. Those loose and cagey buttoned harnesses also had huge appeal. Will they be sold separately? How soon can we get one?
All that being said, this wasn’t a show that grabbed spectators in the way that Philo’s collections have done in the past – the styling was handled in-house this season, which could go some way in explaining that. But, that did come with its own appeal. These clothes are imbued with such authority, such self-assuredness, every look you can picture hanging in Celine stores the world over – and moreover, actually selling – and wearing. Those game changing side-buttoned flares, irresistible knitted tunics, that gold hair slide, even – women everywhere will be coveting those and more when it comes to contemplating spring wardrobes, because as ever with this house, it’s simply all too good to resist.
Sarah Harris